A list of all known queens regnant.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

The following is a list of some queens who are well-known from popular writings, although many ancient and poorly-documented ruling queens (such as those from Africa and Oceania) are omitted.

Africa[edit]

North Africa[edit]

Algeria[edit]

Jarawa[edit]

• Kahina (ruled c. 690-703)

Touggourt[edit]

• Aisha (ruled c. 1833)

Egypt[edit]

Indigenous dynasties[edit]

Hatshepsut

• Merneith of the First Dynasty - was a consort and a regent of Ancient Egypt during the first dynasty. She may have been a ruler of Egypt in her own right. The possibility is based on several official records. Her rule occurred the 30th century B.C., for an undetermined period
• Khentkaus of the Fourth Dynasty - Khentkaus appears to have served as a regent for Thampthis (considered by some historians her son) and may have even taken on kingly titles. Some of her titles are ambiguous and are apparently open to interpretation
• Nitocris of the Sixth Dynasty - her historicity is questionable. She might have been an interregnum queen
• Sobekneferu of the Twelfth Dynasty - Sobekneferu is the first known female ruler of Egypt, although Nitocris may have ruled in the Sixth Dynasty, and there are five other women who are believed to have ruled as early as the First Dynasty
• Hatshepsut of the Eighteenth Dynasty
• Neferneferuaten of the Eighteenth Dynasty (possibly Meritaten or Neferneferuaten Tasherit)
• Smenkhkare of the Eighteenth Dynasty (disputed, possibly Nefertiti)
• Twosret of the Nineteenth Dynasty

Cleopatra VII

Ptolemaic dynasties[edit]

Ptolemy II instituted a new practice of brother-sister marriage when he married his full sister, Arsinoe II. They became, in effect, co-rulers, and both took the epithet Philadelphus ("Brother-Loving" and "Sister-Loving"). Because of this custom many of the kings ruled jointly with their spouses, who were also of the royal house. The only Ptolemaic Queens to officially rule on their own were Berenice III and Berenice IV. Cleopatra VI did co-rule, but it was with another female, Berenice IV. Cleopatra VII officially co-ruled with Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator, Ptolemy XIV, and Ptolemy XV, but effectively, she ruled Egypt alone

• Arsinoe II
• Arsinoe III
• Cleopatra I
• Cleopatra II
• Cleopatra III
• Cleopatra IV
• Berenice III
• Cleopatra V
• Cleopatra VI
• Berenice IV
• Cleopatra VII
• Arsinoe IV

Ayyubid dynasty[edit]

• Shajar al-Durr (ruled 1250)

Libya[edit]

Cyrene[edit]

• Cleopatra Selene II (ruled 34–30 BC) - also Known as Cleopatra VIII. In 75 BC, Cyrene became part of a Roman province, but it was restored to the Ptolemies by Mark Antony in 37 BC. In 34 BC Cleopatra VII and Antony's daughter, Cleopatra Selene II, was made Queen of Cyrene, but the city returned to Rome following Augustus' conquest of Egypt in 30 BC

Sudan[edit]

Amanitore

Kandake was a title for queens, queen mothers, and queens consort in Nubia, but ruling Kandakes may have included:

• Kadimalo (depicted in Semna)
• Makeda (c. 1005 – 950 BCE), claimed to be Queen of Sheba
• Pelekh Candace of Meroë (c. 345–332 BCE)
• Alakhebasken (c. 295 BCE)
• Bartare (260–250 BCE)
• Shanakdakhete (177–155 BCE)
• Amanirenas (40–10 BCE)
• Amanishakheto (c. 10 BCE–1 CE)
• Nawidemak
• Amanitore (1–20 CE)
• Amantitere (22–41 CE)
• Unknown Kandake
• Amanikhatashan (62–85)
• Maleqorobar (266–283)
• Lakhideamani (306–314)
• Patrapeamani (?)
• Amanipilade (?)

Lovedu[edit]

• Majaji (ruled c. 350 AD)

South Sudan[edit]

Shilluk[edit]

• Abudok nya Bwoc (ruled 1661–1667)

Tunisia[edit]

Carthage[edit]

• Dido (ruled 814 – c. 760 BC) - also known as Alyssa. Founder of Carthage, according to tradition

West Africa[edit]

Benin[edit]

Hogbonu[edit]

• Hude (ruled 1746–1752)

Chad[edit]

Sayfawa dynasty[edit]

• Aissa Kili N'guirmamaramama (ruled 1573-1580)

Côte d'Ivoire[edit]

Sakassou[edit]

• Nanan Abla Poku (ruled 1750–1760)
• Nanan Akwa Boni (ruled 1760–1790)

Ghana[edit]

Akan state of Denkyira[edit]

• Amoako Atta Yiadom (ruled 1770–1793), Denkyirahene

Akan state of Dwaben[edit]

• Ama Serwah (ruled 1838–1846), Dwabenhene
• Unknown Dwabenhene (ruled 1846–18??)
• Nana Juaben Serwah II (ruled 1959–19??), Dwabenhene

Niger[edit]

Azna[edit]

• Sarraounia (ruled late 19th)

Kokorou[edit]

• Adama Yahimonzon
• Kodyo Yahimonzon

Nigeria[edit]

Igodomigodo[edit]

• Emose
• Orrorro

Ondo Kingdom[edit]

• Pupupu, founder and ruler of the Ondo Kingdom c. 1510.

Zazzau[edit]

• Amina (a number of scholars date her reign to the early to mid-15th century)

Senegal[edit]

Sine[edit]

• Lingeer Fatim Beye (ruled c. 1335)

Waalo[edit]

• Mbam Wad (ruled 1321–1342)
• Fijo Wad (ruled 1342–1343)
• Dudu Wad (ruled 1343–1344)
• Dofo Wad (ruled 1344–1345)
• Lingeer Ndoye Demba (ruled c. 1367) - she was the founder of the Serer Joos Maternal Dynasty

Sierra Leone[edit]

Koya[edit]

• Fatima Brima Kama, Alikali (ruled 1826–1840), Bai

Shenge[edit]

• Yah Kumba (ruled 1800–1810)
• Sophia Neale-Caluker (ruled 1898–1909)

Central Africa[edit]

Angola[edit]

Jaga[edit]

• Mussasa
• Tembandumba

Matamba[edit]

Nzinga, warrior queen of Ndongo and Matamba

• Mwongo Matamba (ruled ?–1631)
• Ana I de Sousa Nzinga Mbande (ruled 1631–1663)
• Barbara (ruled 1663–1666)
• Verónica I Guterres Kandala Kingwanga (ruled 1681–1721)
• Ana II (ruled 1741–1756)
• Verónica II (ruled 1756–1758)
• Ana III (ruled 1758–?)

Ndongo[edit]

• Ana de Sousa Nzinga Mbande (ruled 1624–1626 and 1657–1663)
• Mukambu Mbandi (ruled 1663–1671)

Cameroon[edit]

Bambui[edit]

• Foh Njuma
• Foh Fehkievie

Bamum[edit]

• Ngoungoure (ruled 1865), Mfon, only woman to rule; her rule lasted 30 minutes

East Africa[edit]

Comoros[edit]

Ndzuwani (Anjouan)[edit]

• Alimah III (ruled 1676–1711) - first known ruler and female ruler of Anjouan; it is probable that at least two more women had ruled Anjouan before her: Alimah I and Alimah II
• Halimah (ruled 1782–1788 and 1792–1796)

Bamboa[edit]

• Nyau wa Faume

Itsandra[edit]

• Fey Beja waWabeja, Mfalme

Bajini[edit]

• Ja Mhaba, Mfalme
• Hadija bint Ahmed, Mfalme

Mwali[edit]

• Raketaka Jombe Sudy (ruled 1842–1865 and 1874–1878) - after 1851 she took the name of Jumbe Fatima bint Abderremane
• Salima Machamba bint Saidi Hamadi Makadara (ruled 1888–1909)

Zewditu I, Empress of Ethiopia

Ethiopia[edit]

• Makeda (c. 1005 – 950 BCE), claimed to be Queen of Sheba
• Zewditu (ruled 1916–1930)

Gibe state of Gera[edit]

• Genne Fa (ruled c. 1880)

Gideons Dynasty[edit]

• Gudit (ruled c. 960 – c. 1000)

Semien[edit]

• Yodith I (ruled before 1330)
• Yodith II (ruled after 1330)

Ranavalona I

Madagascar[edit]

• Rangita (ruled 1520–1530)
• Rafohy (ruled 1530–1540)
• Ranavalona I (ruled 1828–1861)
• Rasoherina (ruled 1863–1868)
• Ranavalona II (ruled 1868–1883)
• Ranavalona III (ruled 1883–1897)

Ambohidratrimo[edit]

• Ramanandrianjaka
• Rabehety (ruled 1797)

Behisatra[edit]

• Safy Mozongo (ruled 1869–1881)
• Binao (ruled 1881–1923)

Somalia[edit]

Ifat[edit]

• Ma'at Laila (ruled 1344–1352)

Punt[edit]

• Ati (ruled 15th century BC)

Tumbatu[edit]

• Mwana wa Mwana
• Fatima bint 'Ali
• Mwana Khadija bint Ngwale

Tanzania[edit]

Buyungu[edit]

• Ruhaga III (ruled 1934-1950)

Heru[edit]

• Teresa Ntare VI (ruled 1949-1962)

Uganda[edit]

Bunyoro[edit]

• Mashamba

Nshenyi[edit]

• Unnamed Queen (Bashambo dynasty)

Zambia[edit]

Kahare[edit]

• Kahare II
• Shikanda

South Africa[edit]

Botswana[edit]

baLete[edit]

• Mosadi a Mokgôsi (ruled 2002)

Malawi[edit]

Ngoni dynasties[edit]

• Kachindamoto VII Theresa (ruled 2003)

South Africa[edit]

Balobedu[edit]

The Modjadji or Rain Queen is the hereditary queen of Balobedu, the people of the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The succession to the position of Rain Queen is matrilineal, meaning that the Queen's eldest daughter is the heir, and that males are not entitled to inherit the throne at all. The Rain Queen is believed to have special powers, including the ability to control the clouds and rainfall.

• Rain Queen I Maselekwane Modjadji (1800–1854)
• Rain Queen II Masalanabo Modjadji (1854–1894)
• Rain Queen III Khetoane Modjadji (1895–1959)
• Rain Queen IV Makoma Modjadji (1959–1980)
• Rain Queen V Mokope Modjadji (1981–2001)
• Rain Queen VI Makobo Modjadji (2003–2005)

Batlokwa[edit]

• Mantatisi (ruled 1820s)

America[edit]

Central America[edit]

Guatemala[edit]

Naranjo[edit]

Sak K'uk'

• Wac Chanil Ahau, also known as Lady Six Sky (ruled 682–741)

Tikal[edit]

• Une' B'alam (ruled c. 317)
• Lady of Tikal (ruled 511–527?)

Mexico[edit]

Ecatepec[edit]

• Tlapalizquixochtzin (ruled late 15th-early 16th century)

Palenque[edit]

• Ix Yohl Ik'nal (ruled 583–604)
• Sak K'uk', also known as Muwaan Mat (ruled 612–615)

Tepetlaoztoc[edit]

• Azcasuch (ruled late 15th-early 16th century)

Yaxchilan[edit]

• Ik' Skull, also known as Lady Eveningstar

Panama[edit]

• Rufina Santana (ruled 1982–1988) - The Naso or Teribe people (also Tjër Di) are an indigenous people of Panama and Costa Rica. It is one of the few native American indigenous groups or tribes that continues to have a monarchy.

Caribbean[edit]

Cuba[edit]

• Casiguaya (ruled 1521), Cacica, wife of Guamá

Haiti[edit]

• Anacaona (ruled until 1503), Cacica of Jaragua, in Hispaniola
• Iguanamá, Cacica of Hispaniola (in the area now called Haití) also known as Isabel de Iguanamá

Puerto Rico[edit]

• Doña Ines, Cacica, mother of Caciques Agüeybaná and Agüeybaná II of Puerto Rico; baptised by Juan Ponce de León in the year 1507
• Doña María, Cacica, daughter of Cacique Bagnamanay
• Yuisa (Luisa) Cacica in the region near Loíza, Puerto Rico who was baptized by the Spaniards; died (1515) during a Carib raid on her land

South America[edit]

Brazil[edit]

• Maria I of Portugal (ruled 1815–1816)

Asia[edit]

East and Central Asia[edit]

China[edit]

Wu Zetian

There have been many powerful empress consorts or empress dowagers, some of whom effectively ruled. Powerful empress consorts or empress dowagers were de facto rulers, but not de jure empress regnants. A concubine who gave birth to a crown prince also could become empress consort (皇后）, although her status still was a little lower than an empress dowager who had been the former empress consort which will be known as 太后。

• Wu Zetian 武則天 (ruled 684–705, reigned 690–705) - the sole official Chinese Empress Regnant, the empress consort of Tang Gaozong, the mother of Tang Zhongzong and Tang Ruizong, she established the Zhou Dynasty (also known as Wu Zhou 武周) after dismissing her sons and becoming the Empress Regnant

However Wu Zetian is the only undisputed empress regnant in the Chinese history, there is one more documented case of a woman holding the title of "Emperor":

• Unnamed Empress 元氏(北魏孝明帝女) (ruled 1–2 April 528) - during Northern Wei Dynasty, Empress Dowager Hu, after her son Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei's death, falsely declared Emperor Xiaoming's daughter to be a son and declared the daughter to be the new emperor, but almost immediately revealed that the child was in fact female, and thereafter declared Yuan Zhao, the young son of Emperor Xiaoming's cousin Yuan Baohui (元寶暉) emperor. Emperor Xiaoming's daughter is also therefore not usually considered a true emperor.

Japan[edit]

Empress Kōgyoku

• Queen Himiko, of Yamatai
• Queen Toyo, of Yamatai
• Empress Iitoyo
• Empress Suiko (554–628), (ruled 593–628) — first ruling empress
• Empress Kōgyoku (594–661), (ruled 642–645) — formerly Princess Takara (Empress Consort of Jomei)
• Empress Saimei (594–661), (ruled 655–661) — same person as Empress Kōgyoku, second reign under a second name
• Empress Jitō (645–702), (ruled 690–697)
• Empress Gemmei (661–721), (ruled 707–715)
• Empress Genshō (680–748), (ruled 715–724) — formerly Princess Hidaka
• Empress Kōken (718–770), (ruled 749–758)
• Empress Shōtoku (718–770), (ruled 764–770) — same person as Empress Kōken, second reign under a second name
• Empress Meishō (1624–1696), (ruled 1629–1643)
• Empress Go-Sakuramachi (1740–1813), (ruled 1762–1771) — last ruling empress

Korea[edit]

Silla[edit]

• Seondeok (ruled 632–647)
• Jindeok (ruled 647–652)
• Jinseong (ruled 887–897)

Uzbekistan[edit]

Bukhara[edit]

• Qabagh Khatun (ruled 674–710)

Khokand[edit]

• Irdana Bi Erdeni (ruled 1746–1770)

South Asia[edit]

India[edit]

Alupa dynasty[edit]

• Ballamahadevi (ruled 1275–1285 with Nagadevarasa)

Arakkal dynasty[edit]

• Ali Raja Bibi Harrabichi Kadavube (ruled 1728–1732)
• Ali Raja Bibi Junumabe I (ruled 1732–1745)
• Ali Raja Bibi Junumabe II (ruled from 1777–1819)

Holkar dynasty[edit]

• Ahilyabai Holkar (ruled 1767–1795), also known as the Philosopher Queen

Jhansi[edit]

• Lakshmi Bai (ruled 1857–1858)

Kakatiya dynasty[edit]

• Rani Rudrama Devi (ruled 1261/62–1295/96)

Keladi Nayaka dynasty[edit]

• Keladi Chennamma (ruled 1672–1697)
• Virammaji (ruled 1757–1763)

Mamluk dynasty[edit]

• Raziyyat-ud-din Sultana of Slave Dynasty (ruled 1236–1240)

Princely States[edit]

• Gowri Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore (ruled 1811–1814)

Kaikhusrau Jahan Begum
'Sarkar Amma'

The Begums of Bopal were several women who ruled the princely state of Bhopal in Central India in the 19th and 20th centuries.

• Begum Sultan Shah Jehan (ruled from 1844–1860 and 1868–1901)
• Begum Nawab Sikandar (ruled from 1860–1868)
• Begum Kaikhusrau Jahan (ruled from 1901–1926)

Ullal[edit]

• Abbakka Chowta (ruled 1525–1570's)

Kashmir[edit]

• Sugandha (ruled in the 10th century)
• Didda (ruled 980–1003), she ruled first as a Regent for her son Abhimanyu and thereafter as sole ruler in her own right
• Kota Rani (ruled 1338–1339)

Maldives[edit]

• Damahaar (ruled before 990) - Damahaar, a Ranin (Queen) of the Aadeetta (Sun) Dynasty, is mentioned by al-Idrisi as having reigned over the Maldives at some time before the semi-legendary King Koimala; there are several other mentions by foreign travelers, mainly Arabs, of queens ruling over the Maldives at various times; these are not always named and their reigns cannot be precisely dated
• Khadijah (ruled 1347–1363, 1364–1374 and 1376–1380)
• Raadhafathi (ruled 1380)
• Dhaain (ruled 1385–1388)
• Kuda Kala Kamanafa’anu (ruled 1607–1609)
• Amina (ruled 1757 – 1759)

Pakistan[edit]

Gilgit[edit]

• Malika Jawar Khatun (ruled 1689–1705)
• Malika Sahibnuma (ruled 1826–1828)

Sindh[edit]

• Zainab Tari (ruled 1092–1102) - she ruled as the Queen of Sindh for ten years from 1092 AD. She was the only queen who have ever ruled Sindh as an absolute ruler

Sri Lanka[edit]

• Anula (ruled 47–42 BC)
• Sivali (ruled 35 BC)
• Lilavati (ruled 1197–1200, 1209–1210 and 1211–1212)
• Kalyanavati (ruled 1202–1208)

Southeast Asia[edit]

Cambodia[edit]

Ang Mey

• Queen Somâ (ruled 180–90 BCE) - the earliest Queen and Leader in Cambodian history
• Queen Regnant Kambuja-raja-lakshmi (575–580) - maternal cousin of king Sresthavarman and the daughter of king Viravarman. She was married to king Bhavavarman I. It was through her that he inherited the royal lineage
• Queen Jayavedi (ruled 681–713) - during her rule, She was faulted in leadership which lead The Chenla kingdom to break into two individual stat but then it record the period to be female-dominated dynasty with the wide range of female successors, totally driving the entire kingdom
• Queen Regnant Indrani (750) - the heiress to the Kingdom, she was married to Puskarasha, son of Queen Regnant Jayadevi of Chenla, and he afterwards became King
• Queen Regnant Jayendrabha (750–803) - also known as Jayendravallabha, she was the daughter of Queen Nrpendradevi and Rajendravarman. She was married to king Jayavarman II, who established himself as king of Indrapura in 781
• Queen Regnant Jyestha of Sambhupura (803–34) - she was the daughter of Queen Jayendra[valla]bha and King Jayavarman II. She described herself as queen of Sambhupura in 803
• Queen Ang Mey (1835–1841 and 1844–1845) - also known as Queen Ba-cong-chua or Ksat Trey, she was proclaimed on the death of her father by the Vietnamese faction at court with the title of My-lam-quan-chua in January 1835. She was famous as puppet queen to Annam

Indonesia[edit]

Aceh[edit]

• Seri Ratu Niharsyah (ruled 1400–1427), the Sultana of Samudera Pasai
• Seri Ratu Ta'jul Alam Shah (ruled 1641–1675), the Sultana of Atjeh (Aceh) Darussalam, formerly known as Puteri Seri Alam the Daughter of The Great Sultan Iskandar Muda, and wife of Sultan Iskandar Thani
• Seri Ratu Keumalat Shah (ruled 1675–1678), the god-daughter of Ratu Ta'jul Alam
• Seri Ratu Inayat Shah (ruled 1678–1688), the god-daughter of Ratu Ta'jul Alam
• Seri Ratu Kamalat Syah (ruled 1688–1699), the god-daughter of Ratu Ta'jul Alam - she was deposed and replaced by her husband under pressure from the Mufti of Mecca

Bali[edit]

• Wijaya Mahadewi (ruled c. 983)
• Mahendradatta (ruled before 989–1007)
• Ajñadewi (ruled c. 1016)
• Sakalendukirana Laksmidhara Wijayottunggadewi (ruled c. 1088–1101)
• Arjayadengjayaketana (ruled c. 1102)
• Unnamed Queen (ruled ?–1284)

Buton[edit]

• Wakaakaa (ruled c. 1295)
• Bulawambona (ruled after 1295)

Kalingga[edit]

• Maharani Shima (ruled 674–695)

Majapahit[edit]

The statue of Tribhuwanottungadewi, queen of Majapahit, depicted as Parvati

• Tribhuwana Wijayatunggadewi (ruled 1328–1350)
• Suhita (ruled 1429–1447)

Medang[edit]

• Pramodhawardhani (ruled 833–856 with her husband Rakai Pikatan)
• Isyana Tunggawijaya (ruled 947–985)

Laos[edit]

Lan Xang[edit]

• Nang Keo Phimpha (ruled 1438) - after her nephew Lan Kham Deng died, she seized control of Lan Xang and the next four kings were under her control. She only reigned for a few months in 1438 at age of 95; she was deposed and killed

Malaysia[edit]

Kelantan[edit]

• Che Siti Wan Kembang
• Puteri Saadong

Myanmar[edit]

Hanthawaddy[edit]

• Shin Sawbu (ruled 1453–1472)

Philippines[edit]

• Dayang Kalangitan, Queen of the Kingdom of Namayan and the Kingdom of Tondo (reigned 1450–1515)

Thailand[edit]

Hariphunchai[edit]

• Jamadevi, first ruler of the Mon kingdom of Hariphunchai

Pattani[edit]

• Raja Hijau, the Green Queen (ruled 1584–1616)
• Raja Biru, the Blue Queen (ruled 1616–1624)
• Raja Ungu, the Purple Queen (ruled 1624–1635)
• Raja Kuning, the Yellow Queen (ruled 1635–1649/88), controversy surrounds the exact date of the end of her reign
• Raja Emas Kelantan (ruled 1670–1698 or 1690–1704) - thought by A. Teeuw & Wyatt to be a king, but claimed by al-Fatani to be a queen, the widow of Raja Bakal and mother of the succeeding queen
• Raja Emas Chayam (ruled 1698–1702 or 1704–1707 and 1716–1718)

Lanna[edit]

• Chiraprabha (ruled 1545–1546)
• Visutthidevi (ruled 1564–1578)

Timor[edit]

• Bi Sonbai (ruled 1672–1717) - Sonbai Kecil, in western Timor

Vietnam[edit]

• Trưng Sisters (ruled 40–43) - the Trưng sisters (Vietnamese: Hai Bà Trưng; literally: two ladies Trưng) were leaders who rebelled against Chinese rule for three years, and are regarded as national heroines of Vietnam. Their names are Trưng Trắc
• Lý Chiêu Hoàng (ruled 1224–1225)

Champa[edit]

• Isanavarman (ruled 653)

West Asia[edit]

Afghanistan[edit]

Bamiyan[edit]

• Lala Khatun (ruled 1210's–1221)

Armenia[edit]

• Erato (ruled 12–2 BC, 2–1 BC and 11–12 AD)
• Zarmandukht (ruled 378–384)

Cyprus[edit]

• Charlotte (ruled 1458–1464)
• Catherine Cornaro (ruled 1474–1489)

Georgia[edit]

Tamar, King of Kings and Queen of Queens of the Georgians

• Tamar (ruled 1184–1213)
• Rusudan (ruled 1223–1245)

Iran[edit]

• Tomyris, Queen of the Massagetae (ruled c. 530 BC)
• Musa of Parthia (ruled 2 BC–4 AD)
• Borandukht (ruled 630–631)
• Azarmidokht (sister of Borandukht, ruled 631–632)

Elymais[edit]

• Anzaze (ruled about 82/81 to 75 BC, following dates on the coins), she appears on coins together with king Kamnaskires III; it was not common on Ancient coins that king and queens appear together and this fact would support her special status
• Ulfan (ruled 140–160)

Il Khanate[edit]

• Sati Beg (ruled 1338–1339)

Iraq[edit]

Kish[edit]

• Kubaba (ruled 25th century BC)

Adiabene[edit]

• Heleni (ruled 30–58)

Israel[edit]

Judea[edit]

• Athaliah (ruled 843–835 BC)
• Salome Alexandra (ruled 76–67 BC)

Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem[edit]

• Melisende (ruled 1131–1153)
• Sibylla (ruled 1186–1190)
• Isabella I (ruled 1190/92–1205)
• Maria (ruled 1205–1212)
• Isabella II (ruled 1212–1228), also known as Yolande of Jerusalem

Jordan[edit]

Nabatea[edit]

• Chuldu (ruled 9 BC–40 AD), she ruled jointly with her husband Aretas IV Philopatris
• Shaqilath (ruled 40–70/71), she ruled jointly with her husband-brother Malichus II; after his death she was regent for her son Rabbel II Soter
• Gamilath (ruled 70/71–106), she ruled jointly with her brother Rabbel II Soter

Lebanon[edit]

Byblos[edit]

• Batnoam (ruled 400's BC)

Saudi Arabia[edit]

Qedarite[edit]

• Zabibe (ruled c. 750–735 BC)
• Samsi (ruled c. 735–710 BC)
• Yatie (ruled c. 710–695 BC)
• Te'elkhunu (ruled c. 695–667 BC)
• Tabua (ruled c. 678–675 BC)

Syria[edit]

Palmyrene Empire[edit]

• Zenobia (ruled 267–274) - Zenobia bestowed upon herself and her son the honorific titles of Augusta and Augustus

Seleucid Empire[edit]

• Cleopatra Thea (ruled 126–121 BCE) - she ruled in association with her son Antiochus VIII Grypus

Tanukhids[edit]

• Mavia (ruled 375–425) - "The Queen of the Arabs"

Turkey[edit]

Isabella of Armenia

Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia[edit]

• Isabella (ruled 1219–1252) - she co-ruled with her husband Hethum I from 1226

Caria[edit]

• Artemisia I (ruled c. 480 BC)
• Artemisia II (ruled 353–351 BC)
• Ada (ruled 344–340 and 334–326 BC)

Dardania[edit]

• Tania (ruled 300's BCE) - queen of ancient Dardania according to Polyaenus

Harran[edit]

• Zugalum (ruled c. 2400 BCE)

Pontus[edit]

• Pythodorida (ruled 8 BC–38 AD)

Saltukid dynasty[edit]

• Melike Mama Hatun (ruled 1191–1200)

Trebizond[edit]

• Theodora Megale Komnene (ruled 1284–1285)
• Eirene Palaiologina (ruled 1340–1341)
• Anna Megale Komnene (ruled 1341–1342)

Yemen[edit]

• Bilkis, claimed to be Queen of Sheba
• Balkis bint al-Hedhed (ruled 658–638 BC)

Sulayhid dynasty[edit]

• Arwa al-Sulayhi (ruled 1067–1138), she ruled Yemen firstly through her first two husbands and then as sole ruler; she was the greatest of the rulers of the Sulayhid Dynasty and was also the first woman to be accorded the prestigious title of hujja in Isma'ili branch of Shi'a Islam, signifying her as the closest living image of God's will in her lifetime

Europe and Spanning Asia[edit]

Zoe

Byzantine Empire[edit]

• Irene (ruled 797–802) - she normally referred to herself as basilissa (empress), although there are three instances of the title basileus (emperor) being used by her
• Zoe (ruled 1028–1041 and 1042–1050) - she ruled with her consorts Romanos III and Michael IV between 1028 and 1041; she ruled with her sister Theodora and her third husband Constantine IX from 1042 to 1050
• Theodora (ruled 1042–1056) - she ruled from 1042 jointly with her sister Zoe and Zoe's third husband Constantine IX; she ruled from 1055 until her death as sole monarch

Sabir[edit]

• Bogharik (ruled 520's–550's)

Europe[edit]

Maria Theresa, Queen regnant of Hungary, Bohemia^[1] and the Holy Roman Empress

Austria[edit]

• Maria Theresa (ruled 1740–1780) - she was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma. In some of the Habsburg dominions (such as Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia and Lodomeria and Galicia), she held the title of queen. By marriage, she was also Duchess of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany and Holy Roman Empress

Belgium[edit]

Bohemia[edit]

• Libuše (ruled 8th century)
• Maria Theresa (ruled 1740–1780)

Bosnia[edit]

• Jelena Gruba (ruled 1395–1398) - elected after the death of king Stephen Dabiša, her husband

Croatia[edit]

• Mary (ruled 1382–1385 and 1386–1395)
• Maria Theresa (ruled 1740–1780)

Margaret I of Denmark

Denmark[edit]

• Margaret I (ruled 1387–1412) - she was founder of the Kalmar Union, which united the Scandinavian countries for over a century. Margaret is known in Denmark as "Margrethe I" to distinguish her from the current queen. Denmark did not have a tradition of allowing women to rule, so when her son died, she was titled "All-powerful Lady and Mistress (Regent) of the Kingdom of Denmark". She only styled herself Queen of Denmark in 1375, usually referring to herself as "Margaret, by the grace of God, daughter of Valdemar King of Denmark" and "Denmark's rightful heir" when referring to her position in Denmark. Others simply referred to her as the "Lady Queen", without specifying what she was queen of, but not so Pope Boniface IX, who in his letters styled her "our beloved daughter in Christ, Margaret, most excellent queen of Denmark, Sweden and Norway"
• Margaret II (ruled 1972–present)

Greece[edit]

Epirus[edit]

• Maria Angelina Doukaina Palaiologina (ruled 1384–1385)

Aeacid dynasty[edit]

• Deidamia II (ruled c. 233 BCE)

Hungary[edit]

• Mary (ruled 1382–1385 and 1386-1395) - she was crowned as King of Hungary to emphasize that she was a monarch in her own right; she co-ruled with her husband Sigismund of Luxembourg from 1387
• Maria Theresa (ruled 1740–1780)

Italy[edit]

Naples[edit]

• Joan I (ruled 1343–1382)
• Joan II (ruled 1414–1435)
• Joan III the Mad (ruled 1516–1555)

Sicily[edit]

• Constance (ruled 1194–1198) - she co-ruled with her husband Henry of Hohenstaufen until 1197
• Maria (ruled 1377–1401) - she co-ruled with her husband Martin I the Younger from 1392
• Joan the Mad (ruled 1516–1555)

Ireland[edit]

• Macha - the Lebor Gabála synchronises her reign to that of Ptolemy I Soter (323-283 BC),^[2] the chronology of Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn dates her reign to 468-461 BC, the Annals of the Four Masters to 661-654 BC
• Grace O'Malley (ruled mid-16th century – c. 1603) - also known as Gráinne Ní Mháille, Granuaile or The Sea Queen Of Connaught; she was Queen of Umaill, Chieftain of the Ó Máille clan and a pirate and a revolutionary in 16th century Ireland

Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

Montenegro[edit]

Zeta[edit]

• Jelena Anžujska (ruled 1276–1309/14)

Netherlands[edit]

• Wilhelmina (ruled 23 November 1890 – 4 September 1948)
• Juliana (ruled 4 September 1948 – 30 April 1980)
• Beatrix (ruled 30 April 1980 – 30 April 2013)

Norway[edit]

• Margaret (ruled 1388–1412)

Agder[edit]

• Åsa (ruled 815–834/38)

Poland[edit]

• Wanda (ruled 8th century)
• Hedwig (ruled 1384–1399) - she was crowned as King of Poland to emphasize that she was a monarch in her own right; she co-ruled with her husband Władysław II Jagiełło from 1386
• Anna (ruled 1575–1586) - she was crowned as King of Poland to emphasize that she was a monarch in her own right; she co-ruled with her husband Stephen Báthory

Maria II of Portugal

Catherine II of Russia

Portugal[edit]

• Teresa (ruled 1112–1128) - first ruler of independent Portugal. In recognizing her victory in defending Coimbra, she was called "Queen" by Pope Paschal II and in light of this recognition, she appears in her documents as "Daughter of Alphonso and elected by God", explicitly being called queen in an 1117 document, leading some to refer to her as the first monarch of Portugal
• Beatrice (ruled de jure in 1383) - there has been some actual debate as to whether Beatrice should be counted as a monarch or not and there is a historiographical current of Spanish and Portuguese authors defending that she was titular Queen of Portugal between 22 October and the middle of December 1383
• Maria I (ruled 1777–1816)
• Maria II (ruled 1826–1828 and 1834–1853)

Russia[edit]

• Catherine I (ruled 1725–1727)
• Anna (ruled 1730–1740)
• Elizabeth (ruled 1741–1762)
• Catherine II ("the Great") (ruled 1762–1796)

Khanate of Qasim[edit]

• Fatima Soltan (ruled 1679–1681)

Spain[edit]

Navarre[edit]

• Toda Aznárez (ruled 950s-970s) - was the queen consort of Pamplona through her marriage to Sancho I, who reigned from 905 to 925, and was regent of Pamplona for her son García Sánchez I from 931 to 934. Later in life, she ruled a subkingdom created for her
• Joan I (ruled 1274–1305)
• Joan II (ruled 1328–1349)
• Blanche I (ruled 1425–1441)
• Blanche II (ruled de jure 1461–1464)
• Eleanor (ruled in 1479)
• Catherine (ruled 1483–1517)
• Joan III (ruled 1555–1572)

Isabella I of Castile

Spain, Aragon, Castile and León[edit]

• Urraca of León and Castile (ruled 1109–1126) - also styled as Empress of all Spain (totius Hispaniae imperatrix). Her use of the imperial styling was limited, much more so than that of her predecessor and successor (it is possible that the imperial style had connotations too strongly masculine). Urraca did employ instead the title Queen of Spain on several occasions from the very beginning of her reign until the end
• Petronila of Aragon (ruled 1137–1164)
• Berenguela of Castile the Great (ruled 1217)
• Sancha of León (ruled de jure in 1230) - she ruled jointly with her sister Dulce. After the death of Sancha's brother, Alfonso IX named his second son, also Ferdinand, his heir, bestowing on him the title infante. In 1217, Ferdinand's mother, Berengaria, inherited the Kingdom of Castile, but ceded it to her son. With his heir out of the kingdom and ruling in another place, Alfonso attempted to make his eldest daughters his joint heirs. In the Treaty of Boronal concluded with Portugal in 1219, Alfonso expressly states that if he should die, Portugal should respect the agreement with his daughters.^[3] Alfonso also attempted to secure his eldest daughter's rights by marrying Sancha to John of Brienne, the former King of Jerusalem, but his wife Berengaria blocked this action in order to advance her son.^[4] After this fiasco, Alfonso declared Sancha and Dulce his heirs, but upon his death on 24 September 1230, the people of León, who had pledged for Ferdinand in 1206, refused to recognise his daughters, and they in turn ceded their rights to his kingdom to their half-brother
• Dulce of León (ruled de jure in 1230) - she ruled jointly with her sister Sancha
• Isabella I of Castile the Catholic (ruled 1474–1504)
• Joanna of Castile and Aragon the Mad (ruled 1504–1555)
• Isabella II of Spain (ruled 1833–1868)

Sweden[edit]

• Ingeborg (ruled de facto 1318-1319) - in 1318-1319 she was Sweden's first de facto female ruler and from 1319 to 1326, she was Sweden's first de jure female regent; her position subsequently equalled that of an undeclared queen mother for over 40 years
• Margaret (ruled 1389–1412)
• Christina (ruled 1632–5 June 1654) - she was crowned as King of Swedes, Goths and Vandals to emphasize that she was a monarch in her own right
• Ulrika Eleonora the Younger (ruled 30 November 1718 – 29 February 1720)

United Kingdom, Commonwealth, Great Britain, England, Scotland, Heptarchy[edit]

• Cartimandua (ruled c. 43–69), queen of the Brigantes, a Celtic people in what is now Northern England - she came to power around the time of the Roman conquest of Britain, and formed a large tribal agglomeration that became loyal to Rome; she is known exclusively from the work of a single Roman historian, Tacitus, though she appears to have been widely influential in early Roman Britain
• Boudica (ruled c. 60–61), queen of the Brythonic Celtic Iceni, people of Norfolk, in Eastern Britain - in 61 AD, led a major uprising of the tribes against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire
• Seaxburh of Wessex (ruled c. 672–675) - she reigned jointly with her husband Cenwalh and, according to tradition, ruled Wessex as Queen for a year following Cenwalh's death in 674
• Æthelflæd of Mercia (ruled 911–918) - eldest daughter of king Alfred the Great of Wessex, wife of Æthelred II, ealdorman of Mercia, and after his death, sole ruler of Mercia. While her husband was alive, she signed agreements, leading some to think that she was the real leader. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle styles her Lady of the Mercians (Myrcna hlæfdige)
• Ælfwynn of Mercia (ruled 918) - daughter of Æthelflæd and Æthelred II, styled Lady of the Mercians. Deposed by her uncle, Edward the Elder (4 December 918), who annexed Mercia to Wessex, creating the Kingdom of England
• Matilda of England (ruled 7 April – 1 November 1141) - she was England's first de facto female ruler, holding the title of Lady of the English (she planned to assume the title of queen upon her coronation). She was declared heir presumptive by her father, Henry I, and acknowledged as such by the barons; however, upon the death of her father in 1135, Matilda was usurped to the throne by her rival and cousin Stephen of Blois. The Anarchy followed, with Matilda's being a de facto ruler for a few months in 1141, but she was never crowned and failed to consolidate her rule (legally and politically)
• Margaret of Scotland (ruled 25 November 1286 – 26 September 1290) - also known as Margaret, Maid of Norway. She was daughter of Eric II of Norway and Margaret of Scotland and was named "domina and right heir" of the Kingdom of Scotland by her grandfather, Alexander III. Her death while en route to Scotland sparked off the disputed succession, which led to the Wars of Scottish Independence. As Margaret was never crowned or otherwise inaugurated, and never set foot on what was then Scots soil during her lifetime, there is some doubt about whether she should be regarded as a Queen of Scots; this could ultimately be a matter of interpretation. Most lists of the monarchs of Scotland do include her, but a few do not.
• Mary I of Scotland (ruled 1542–1567) - better known as Mary, Queen of Scots; she was executed in England in 1587
• Jane Grey (ruled 1553) - her cousin Edward VI of England nominated Jane as successor to the Crown in his will and excluded his half sisters, Mary and Elizabeth. However, this was disputed following Edward's death and Jane was queen for only nine days (10–19 July) before Edward's half-sister, Mary, was proclaimed Queen. Jane is nicknamed The Nine Days' Queen
• Mary I of England (ruled 1553–1558)
• Elizabeth I of England (ruled 1558–1603)
• Mary II of England and Scotland (ruled 1689–1694) - she ruled jointly with her cousin and husband William III of Orange
• Anne of Great Britain (ruled 1702–1714)
• Victoria of the United Kingdom (ruled 1837–1901) - longest reigning monarch in Britain. She was the first monarch to hold the title of Empress of India
• Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (ruled 1952–present) - head of state of 32 Sovereign states during her reign

Ukraine[edit]

Kingdom of the Cimmerian Bosporus[edit]

• Dynamis (ruled in 47 BC, 44-17 BC and 16-14 BC) - she co-ruled with her first husband Asander in 47 BC and from 44 BC until 17 BC; then she co-ruled with her second husband Polemon I from 16 BC until her death
• Gepaepyris (ruled 38–45) - she ruled in association with her son Mithridates III)

Scythians[edit]

• Opoino (ruled c. 430 BC)

Oceania[edit]

American Samoa[edit]

• Matelita, (ruled 1891–1895, as Tui Manu'a)

Easter Island[edit]

These "queens" are not recognized by the modern historians or the Rapanui people as legitimate rulers, merely the wife and children of the islands resident foreigner Jean-Baptiste Dutrou-Bornier. The term "queen" was only made up by an imaginative French explorer.^[5]

• Koreto Puakurunga (ruled 1868–1869?)
• Carolina (ruled 1869?–1888?)
• Eva Ko Uka 'a Hei 'a 'Arero (?) (ruled 1899?–1946)

French Polynesia[edit]

Bora Bora[edit]

• Maevarua I (ruled before Western contact)
• Teriimaevarua II (ruled 1860–1873)
• Teriimaevarua III (ruled 1873–1888)

Tehaapapa II and Tehaapapa III

Huahine[edit]

• Teha'apapa I (ruled 1760–1790)
• Teri'itaria II (ruled 1815–1852)
• Teha'apapa II (ruled 1868–1893)
• Teuhe (ruled 1888–1890) - she reigned under a rebellion government against her mother Queen Tehaapapa II
• Teha'apapa III (ruled 1893–1895)

Rapa[edit]

• unnamed daughter of Parima (ruled 1886–1887)^[6]:30

Raiatea[edit]

• Tehauroarii (ruled 1881–1884)
• Tuarii (ruled c. 1890s) - she reigned under a rebellion government against the French)

Rimatara[edit]

• Tamaeva IV (ruled 1876–1892)
• Tamaeva V (ruled 1892–1901)

Tahiti[edit]

• Purea (ruled 18th century), queen of the Teva clan on the southern part of the island before unification
• Pōmare IV (ruled 1871–1911)

Tahuata[edit]

• Paetini (ruled c. 1842)

Vaekehu

Taiohae[edit]

• Loi Vakamoa II (ruled c. 1861)
• Vaekehu I (ruled 18??–18??)
• Vaekehu II (ruled 1890–1901)

Hawaii[edit]

Ancient[edit]

• Kūkaniloko, 11th Moʻi of Oʻahu (ruled sixteenth century)
• Kalaimanuia, 12th Moʻi of Oʻahu (ruled 1600–1665)
• Kamakahelei, 22nd Moʻi of Kauaʻi (ruled 1770–1794)
• Kaikilani, 17th Moʻi of Hawaiʻi Island (ruled 1575–1605)
• Keakamahana, 19th Moʻi of Hawaiʻi Island (ruled 1635–1665)
• Keakealaniwahine, 20th Moʻi of Hawaiʻi Island (ruled 1665–1695)
• Kalanikauleleiaiwi, co-ruler of Hawaiʻi Island along with her brother Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku (ruled 1695–1725)
• Ululani, 7th Chiefess of Hilo
• Kapauanuakea, 3rd Chiefess of Molokai
• Kamauliwahine, 4th Chiefess of Molokai
• Hualani, 5th Chiefess of Molokai
• Kanealai, Chiefess of Molokai

Liliuokalani

Kingdom[edit]

• Liliuokalani (ruled 1891–1893 and claimed status as queen until her death in 1917) - was one of many queens of Hawaii; however, she was the only queen regnant of the modern Kingdom of Hawaii established by Kamehameha I in the late eighteenth century

Marshall Islands[edit]

Majuro[edit]

• Dorothy Litarjikut (ruled 1954)

Mejit Island[edit]

• Libinnirok

New Caledonia[edit]

Île des Pins[edit]

• Kanejö (ruled 1855–1883), Grand chief

New Zealand[edit]

Rarotonga[edit]

Makea Takau Ariki

• Makea Te Vaerua Ariki, High Chiefess of Te Au O Tonga (ruled 1845–1857)
• Pa Upoko Takau Ariki, High Chiefess of Takitumu (ruled 1855–1890)
• Tinomana Mereana Ariki, High Chiefess of Puaikura (ruled 1881–1908)
• Makea Takau Ariki, Queen/Supreme High Chiefess of the Cook Islands (ruled 1871–1911) - was the last monarch and only queen regnant of the Kingdom of Rarotonga established in 1858, she ceased to be sovereign after 1888

Māori[edit]

• Te Atairangikaahu (ruled 1966–2006)

Tonga[edit]

• Tupoumahe'ofo (ruled 1777–1781, as Tu'i Kanokupolu)
• Salote Tupou III (ruled 1918–1965)

Uvea (Wallis)[edit]

• Toifale (ruled 1825)
• Falakika Seilala (ruled 1858–1869)
• Amelia Tokagahahau Aliki (ruled 1869–1895)
• Aloisia Brial (ruled 1953–1958)

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Contemporary reigning queens (Zárate's Political Collections)

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